Montana Gundown

by William W. Johnstone

  Chapter 24

  Frank welcomed the pain in his head because it told him he was still alive. He had been knocked unconscious before, so he knew the stabbing agony would soon subside to a dull ache. He could live with that.

  As he began to stir, a familiar voice exclaimed, “He’s comin’ around! Dadgum it, Frank, you had me scared for a minute there that you was dead!”

  Frank pried his eyes open and saw the worried, whiskery face of Salty Stevens looming over him. He glanced the other way and saw Bill Kitson.

  But he didn’t see Faye, and concern for her safety prompted him to haul himself upright, into a sitting position. He was groggy, but Salty’s arm around his shoulders steadied him.

  “Where’s Miss Embry?” he asked. Now that he was sitting up, he could see that he was in the kitchen of the Feed Barn. He hoped Faye was out front.

  Salty dashed that hope by saying, “She was gone when we got here, Frank. So was Katie. And poor Solomon there’s been walloped bad on the head.”

  Frank looked over and saw Solomon still lying senseless on the floor near the stove. Frank could see now what he hadn’t caught in that brief glimpse. There was a cut on the old man’s head above his ear where someone had hit him.

  Maybe the injury was bloody but not too serious. Head wounds had a tendency to bleed a lot even when they were minor. But whoever had clouted Solomon could have busted his skull, too.

  “Who was it, Mr. Morgan?” Kitson asked tensely. “Did you get a look at them?”

  “One of them,” Frank replied. “The other one was behind the door and hit me with what felt like an anvil.”

  “More’n likely the butt of a gun,” Salty said. “Or a chunk of stove wood.”

  “Doesn’t matter what it was,” Frank said. “He knocked me out and then the two of them must have grabbed Faye and Katie. The one I saw was familiar, and now I remember where I saw him before. He was with Brady Morgan and the rest of the B Star bunch the day of the inquest.”

  “Jehosophat!” Salty exclaimed. “What in blazes does Baldridge think he’s gonna accomplish by kidnappin’ Miss Faye?”

  “I don’t know,” Frank said grimly, “but I sure as hell intend to find out. Help me up.”

  Salty and Kitson each gave Frank a hand and helped him to his feet. Kitson picked up Frank’s hat and handed it to him. Frank looked at how the Stetson’s crown was dented and knew the hat might have saved his life by blunting some of the treacherous blow’s force. Otherwise it might have crushed his skull.

  As the three men came out of the kitchen, Marshal Trask hurried into the café through the front door. He said, “I heard there was a heap of trouble down here. What’s going on?”

  “Somebody attacked Solomon Storm and abducted his niece and Faye Embry,” Frank said.

  “Abducted?” Trask repeated. “You mean kidnapped?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean,” Frank said. “There were at least two of them. They must’ve snuck into the kitchen through the alley door and knocked out Solomon. Then when Katie came in, she let out a scream and I charged in after her. One of the varmints walloped me, and that’s the last I knew until I woke up a couple of minutes ago.”

  “You couldn’t have been out long,” Trask said. “It’s only been a few minutes since one of the customers who was in here ran into my office and told me there was trouble. I got here as fast as I could. The man said he heard Katie scream, then you ran in there, and then Miss Embry went through the kitchen door after you. That’s all he knew because he lit a shuck out of here and went to fetch me.”

  Frank grimaced. Faye should have run for the marshal herself, rather than charging blindly into trouble.

  But that was exactly what he had done, he reminded himself. And he had paid the price for it, too.

  He just hoped that price didn’t include the lives of two young women.

  Trask went on. “Did anybody see who did this?”

  “Baldridge’s men,” Frank said. “At least the one I saw rides for the B Star, so I reckon the others do, too.”

  Trask’s eyes widened. “That’s a mighty serious accusation, Morgan,” he said. “No matter how Gaius Baldridge feels about the Boxed E, I can’t imagine him ordering the kidnapping of two young women.”

  “They probably weren’t after Katie,” Frank said. “Maybe they just grabbed her to use as an extra hostage if they needed her. But I know for sure the man I saw struggling with her was one of Baldridge’s gun-wolves.”

  “What are you gonna do about it, Marshal?” Salty demanded. “You can’t let Baldridge get away with this. He sent his men into your town to kidnap Embry’s daughter!”

  Trask’s face was as gray as mud, and he looked like he was so weary he just wanted to sit down somewhere. But he said, “He’s not going to get away with this. I’ll ride out to the B Star and get to the bottom of it.”

  “You won’t go by yourself,” Frank said. “I’m coming along, too.”

  “And me,” Salty added.

  “Me, too,” Kitson said.

  “All right, but I’m in charge, damn it,” Trask snapped. “No going off half-cocked, understand?” He turned to the gaggle of townspeople who had crowded around the café’s open front door. “Somebody go fetch Doc Hutchison! Solomon Storm needs help.”

  “He’s already on his way, Marshal,” one of the townsmen said.

  Trask pointed to one of the other men and said, “Bert, you’ve got a good horse. Ride out to the Boxed E as fast as you can and let Jubal Embry know what’s happened.” The lawman sighed. “That’s probably not a good idea. This whole valley’s about to blow up, and telling Embry that Baldridge kidnapped his daughter will just make it happen faster. But Jubal’s got to know about it, in case we don’t come back from the B Star.”

  The crowd around the door parted, and the doctor hurried in carrying his black bag. “Where’s Solomon?” he asked.

  Trask pointed to the kitchen door. “In there. I don’t know how bad he’s hurt.”

  “Somebody hit him on the head,” Frank said. “I couldn’t tell how bad it was, either.”

  The sawbones hustled past them and through the swinging door. Trask said, “The doc’s got this under control. I’ll go saddle my horse, and we’ll head for Baldridge’s place.”

  “Bill, go give the marshal a hand,” Frank told the young cowboy. Kitson nodded and hurried out of the café behind Trask.

  In the momentarily quiet room, Salty said, “You know this is about to turn into an all-out shootin’ war, don’t you, Frank? When Embry hears what’s happened, he won’t stop until he’s wiped out Baldridge’s bunch ... or got wiped out himself.”

  Frank nodded and said, “I know.”

  “Miz Wilcoxon is still out on the B Star.”

  “I know that, too. She’ll be all right.”

  Laura would always find a way to survive, he thought, no matter what happened.

  Laura was at the window of her room on the second floor of the B Star ranch house when she saw Brady riding fast toward the house. Early this morning, he had ridden out with three men to put their plan into action.

  That plan had been conceived hastily after their visitor had been here the night before, but Laura had gone over it in her mind numerous times, and as far as she could tell, it was solid and ought to work.

  Now Brady was returning, and Laura hoped he brought news of the plan’s success. If he did, they were one step closer to getting what they wanted.

  Laura left the room and hurried down the broad staircase to the first floor. The B Star ranch house was a huge affair made of rocks, timbers, and thick beams. Inside, its sumptuous furnishings had been brought from far-off cities like Denver, St. Louis, and San Francisco. Gaius Baldridge was a man who liked his comforts.

  She found Baldridge waiting on the wide gallery that ran all around the house. He stood tensely, his hands gripping the rail at the edge of the porch. When he heard her soft footsteps, he looked over his shoulder at her and said, “Brady is co
ming back.”

  “I know,” Laura said. “I saw him from upstairs.”

  Her room was next to Baldridge’s. She knew that he had expected them to be sharing a room by now, but she had fended him off successfully so far. She might not be able to for much longer, but she would do whatever was necessary.

  Brady reined his lathered horse to a stop in front of the house and swung down from the saddle. He still had the plaster over his broken nose, but the black eyes had faded and he didn’t look as grotesque as he had a few days earlier when they came back from Pine Knob.

  He wore a savage grin as he came up the steps to the gallery, and when Laura saw that her heart leaped. She knew he wouldn’t be grinning if things hadn’t gone well.

  “Is it done?” Baldridge asked. His voice was tight from the strain he was feeling.

  Brady nodded and said, “Cotter, Felton, and Kern have the Embry girl at the line shack. They brought Katie Storm along, too.”

  Baldridge’s bushy white eyebrows shot up in alarm. “Katie Storm!” he repeated. “They weren’t supposed to take her, just Faye Embry.”

  “The Storm girl caught them right after they knocked out the old man,” Brady explained. “She put up a fight, and Kern had to knock her out before they grabbed Faye. They figured they might as well bring her along, too. Actually, that works out pretty good for us. Hal Embry is sweet on Katie. He’ll be even crazier when he finds out that both his sister and his sweetheart have been carried off.”

  “Well ... I suppose that’s all right. Anyway, it’s too late to do anything about it now, isn’t it?”

  “Damn right it’s too late,” Brady said. “There’s no turning back. By nightfall, Jubal Embry and his son and all the men who ride for them will be dead.”

  “What about Frank?” Laura asked.

  Brady grimaced and said, “That’s the only place where Cotter and the others fell down on the job. Cotter knocked him out in the kitchen of the Feed Barn. He might have busted the old man’s skull, but he’s not sure because Katie and Faye got spooked and he hustled out of there without checking to make sure Frank was dead.”

  “But he might be?” Laura pressed.

  “Yeah, sure. That was the idea, wasn’t it?”

  Laura felt a sudden, unexpected twinge. She had no reason to mourn Frank Morgan’s death, she told herself. Whatever had been between them was a long time ago and hadn’t meant that much to start with. She had never allowed herself to care too much about any man, with the exception of her son.

  But still she felt that brief moment of sadness. It wasn’t too difficult to ignore, though.

  Baldridge was pale and shaken after hearing Brady’s report. He had known what the plan was, but even so, hearing about what had happened clearly bothered him.

  “The young women aren’t to be harmed,” he said. “Your men are aware of that, Brady?”

  “Sure,” Brady answered easily. “I’ll see to it myself, boss.”

  Baldridge sighed and nodded. “I wish it hadn’t been necessary to take these steps.”

  “But it is,” Laura said. “Soon we’ll have everything we want, Gaius. Everything.”

  Because Brady hadn’t been lying when he said that he would see to Faye Embry, and now to Katie Storm as well, Laura supposed. Once Jubal Embry and his son were dead, the girl had to die as well. That would leave Embry’s widow alone, and she wouldn’t be able to stand in their way. She would clear out, leaving the valley to Baldridge.

  That was the only way, Laura told herself, because Baldridge was never going to win that legal case. Her lawyers had made that clear to her. There was nothing wrong with Embry’s claim to the Boxed E. It would stand up in any court in the land.

  But with the Embrys gone, no one could stop Baldridge from seizing the entire valley, and then he would take a wife to go along with his new riches.

  A wife who would soon be an even richer widow, Laura thought as a faint smile curved her lips. She would make that happen.

  One way or another.

  Chapter 25

  “I’d feel better about this if there were forty of us, not four,” Marshal Roy Trask said as he approached the B Star headquarters with Frank, Salty, and Kitson.

  “We could have waited for Embry and the rest of the Boxed E crew,” Frank said.

  Trask shook his head. “I was in no mood to wait. Were you, Morgan?”

  “Not hardly,” Frank answered honestly. Faye and Katie were in danger, and he wanted to locate them as quickly as possible.

  This was the first time he had been to the B Star. It was a fine-looking spread, with plenty of good grazing land, and it was big enough for Baldridge to run a large herd. What Baldridge had here ought to be enough for any man, Frank thought. He had never understood why some men always had to have more, whether it was land, cattle, money, or women.

  But obviously Frank was the one who was out of step by being satisfied with what he had, because greed seemed to be one of the main things that drove the world.

  The ranch house was big. Not fancy, at least on the outside, but very impressive. As were the barns, the corrals, the blacksmith shop, the bunkhouse, and all the other outbuildings. The B Star was no greasy-sack outfit. It was as fine a spread as Frank had seen in this part of the country.

  No one challenged them as they rode up to the house. Frank knew they had been spotted approaching, though, because as soon as they reined in, Gaius Baldridge and Brady Morgan stepped out and onto the porch. Brady still had the plaster on his broken nose, and the murderous glare he directed toward Frank said that he was still packing a grudge, too.

  “Good afternoon, Marshal,” Baldridge said. “What brings you out here?”

  Trask took a deep breath, sighed, and leaned forward, resting his hands on the saddlehorn. He looked haggard.

  “I reckon you know why I’m here, Mr. Baldridge,” he said. “We’ve come for Miss Embry and Miss Storm. Turn them over to us now, unharmed, and maybe there won’t be as much trouble over this as there will be otherwise.”

  Baldridge frowned and shook his head in apparent confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. I assume you’re talking about Faye Embry, but I know of no reason why she would be here. And Miss Storm? You’re talking about the young lady who runs the café in town?”

  Salty burst out, “You know dang well who—”

  Frank lifted a hand to stop him. “One of your men knocked out Katie’s uncle in the kitchen of the Feed Barn earlier today and attacked Katie. I saw him with my own eyes.”

  “You must not see very good anymore, old man,” Brady said with a sneer. “Nobody’s been off the B Star all day. Isn’t that right, Mr. Baldridge?”

  Baldridge nodded and said, “That’s the truth. All of my men are accounted for.”

  “You’re lying,” Frank snapped. “The man I saw has shaggy brown hair, a drooping mustache, and a scar over his left eye. He was with you at the inquest, Brady.”

  Baldridge and Brady looked at each other in apparent surprise. Brady said, “That’s Vince Cotter. You’re right. He rode for the B Star ... but he doesn’t anymore. He quit yesterday, along with two other men, Felton and Kern.” Brady laughed. “They said it was getting too damned boring around here. They were tired of waiting for some action.”

  “You’re sure about that?” Trask asked. “These men left the ranch?”

  “They drew their pay and rode out,” Baldridge said. “I have no idea where they are now, or what they might have done since then.”

  “You expect us to believe a cock-and-bull story like that?” Salty demanded.

  Brady eased forward, his hand moving toward the butt of his Colt. “I think that old mossback just called you a liar, boss,” he said. “And I know the other old mossback did.”

  “Take it easy,” Trask said. “We’re just trying to get to the bottom of this. You’re saying these men rode into Pine Knob today and kidnapped those women?”

  “I have no idea what they might have
done, Marshal,” Baldridge said. “But it makes sense. They didn’t get the payoff they wanted out of this job. Perhaps they decided to kidnap Miss Embry and hold her for ransom. You say the abduction occurred at the café?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then taking Miss Storm along was probably just a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Baldridge stroked his chin as he frowned in thought. He turned to Brady and said, “Do you have any idea where Cotter and the others might have gone?”

  “Wait just a damned minute,” Brady said. “Do you intend to help these varmints?”

  “I don’t want any harm to come to those two young women,” Baldridge snapped. “If we can help these men find them, I think we should.”

  “I rode with Cotter and Felton and Kern before,” Brady objected. “I’m not gonna send some posse breathing down their necks!”

  Baldridge glared at him. “If you know where they might have taken those women, tell me! That’s an order, Brady.”

  The atmosphere on the gallery was charged with tension. Brady looked like he was ready to draw on Baldridge. Frank didn’t think that was going to happen, but he kept a close eye on the young man anyway. He wasn’t going to stand by and allow Brady to gun down the old rancher.

  After a few strained seconds, Brady grimaced and shrugged. “Fine, if that’s the way you want it. I don’t know if that’s where they went or not, but I remember Cotter saying something about an old line shack up in the mountains north of here that your crew doesn’t use anymore. He said it would make a good hideout if anybody ever needed one. I thought he was just making conversation.”

  “Maybe he was ... then,” Baldridge said. “But if he and the others are on the run, perhaps he remembered it.” Baldridge turned to face Frank and the others again. “I think I know the line shack Brady and the others are talking about. I can tell you how to find it. Better yet, I’ll send Brady and some of the men with you to show you.”

  Frank didn’t like that idea. He didn’t trust Brady Morgan, not for a second.

  “Do you know those mountains, Marshal?” he asked Trask.

  The lawman shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t. I didn’t grow up in these parts, and since my jurisdiction ends at the town limits, I’ve never explored the rest of the valley that much.”